Football briefs: Chargers’ top priority is long-term deal for Rivers

Wednesday

Jan 28, 2009 at 12:01 AMJan 28, 2009 at 6:45 PM

PFW news on the Chargers, Eagles, Jets, Falcons and Cardinals.

Pro Football Weekly staff

The Way We Hear It

Before the Chargers make the all-important decision of what to do with RB LaDainian Tomlinson, they will first sort things out with QB Philip Rivers. We hear GM A.J. Smith’s initial order of business this offseason will be working out a long-term deal with his QB, whose contract expires after the 2009 campaign. Given how valuable Rivers was to the Bolts this past season, leading the league’s second-ranked scoring offense despite getting little support from the running game, he is likely to command a hefty sum of money. One of his QB counterparts from the 2004 draft — Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger — signed a $102 million deal last year, and another one — the Giants’ Eli Manning — is expected to soon do the same. Considering Rivers’ ’08 numbers — he passed for 4,009 yards and 34 TDs with a 105.5 rating — are better than any stats Roethlisberger or Manning have put up, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the San Diego signalcaller join the $100 million QB club. At this point, he's the player the team can least afford to lose.

NFL Whispers

EAGLES: Chad Ocho Cinco to the Giants? Hang on a minute. Yes, rumors have floated that the Giants might be interested in adding a receiver, especially given Plaxico Burress’ legal situation and the fact that Amani Toomer is a free agent and not likely to be back. But as much as GM Jerry Reese likes talent, we hear there might be some people in the organization who would oppose the move, given Ocho Cinco’s histrionics and the potential clash it might cause with the businesslike atmosphere head coach Tom Coughlin has worked hard to establish. That said, the Giants would be buying low. Ocho Cinco is coming off his worst season since becoming a star, and the Bengals are said to be willing to move him at a friendly price.

JETS: Rex Ryan has made comparisons between a couple of his Jets defenders and those he coached in Baltimore. In different contexts, he’s likened Kerry Rhodes to Ed Reed and Vernon Gholston to Terrell Suggs. It remains to be seen whether he’ll look to deploy these players in similar capacities or whether he has similar expectations for them.

FALCONS: Although he recently turned 36 and was slowed by a knee injury late last season, word out of Atlanta is DT Grady Jackson could be back with the Falcons for another season. Jackson, who will be a free agent, has a history with head coach Mike Smith after jumping from the Smith-coached Jaguars defense in 2007 to the Falcons in ’08. Sources say Atlanta’s top offseason priorities appear to be at safety and linebacker, so keeping Jackson in place for another season at a relatively cheap cost may be an attractive option for the club.

CARDINALS: It turns out Cardinals TE Stephen Spach suffered both a torn ACL and a torn MCL and meniscus in his right knee in the playoff victory over the Panthers. Word is Spach, who had taken over the team’s starting TE role before his injury, is looking at a six-month rehabilitation period, which would allow him to be ready for the start of training camp.

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